In her award-winning essay, young British science writer Jasmin Notarangelo carried out a very personal investigation into a pressing global health issue that affects her family directly. Jasmin’s essay, about managing Type 1 diabetes, won the . Here is an edited version of that essay.
I am a teenager whose mother and grandmother both have type 1 diabetes. It is a disease which cannot be cured, only managed - an autoimmune condition, meaning that the body’s defence system attacks cells in the pancreas. These cells are then damaged and cannot produce insulin - the hormone which helps keep blood sugar levels within a safe range.
In people without diabetes, insulin is released when we eat, preventing our blood sugar levels from going too high. That does not happen to diabetics. Without treatment, their blood sugar can spike - dangerously.
Glucose monitors, healthy dietary choices, scheduled exercise, and most importantly insulin injections, are all used to control it. Insulin injections can be painful. They can cause bruising and a build-up of scar tissue, fat, and protein, which is called lipohypertrophy.
As I have seen, these injections can be upsetting and restricting. Diabetics have to have their insulin with them and, for those who have problems with their eyesight, or with their mobility, it can be a struggle to inject. This is why I believe there is a better, more efficient way to deliver insulin.
The insulin pump is a small device - around the size of a deck of cards.
